Draft-rigging for railway-cars.



PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

J. F. OGONNOR.

DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 6.1906.

2 SHEET$SHEET 1 INVENTOR fil /('7 Farah/10w WITNESSES:

. his ATTORNEYS N0- 829,'781. PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906 J. F. OCONNOR.

DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v WITNESSES. INVENTOR 7 :73 Ma Jbhn F O'Connor fi/s ATTORNEYS UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO W. H. MINER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Anplication filed June 6, 1906. Serial No. 320,882.

draft-rigging for railway-cars, and more particularly to means for causing the springs of the drarlt rigging to center the draw-bar.

'lhe ODJOCE of my invention is to provide a railway-car draft-rigging of a strong, simple,

ellieient, and durable construction, in which the draw-bar may have a pivotal connection with the draw-bar strap, yoke, or extension to permit of the necessary lateral movement of the draw-bar as the train passes around curves, and in which the springs of the draftrigging will operate to automatically center the drawbar or restore it to its central position.

l\'l V invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or resultthat is to say, it consists, in connection with the side plates or stopcastings, springs, and followers of the draft-rigging, of a draw-bar and a draw-bar strap, yoke, or extension having a pivotal connection therewith to enable the draw-bar to swing laterally, as required in passing around curves, in providing the draw-bar at its rear end with a pair of lateral pivot-arms which cooperate with a longitudinally-movable draw-bar centering-block, interposed between the rear end of the draw-bar and the front follower, and having a pair of lateral pivot-seats engaging the lateral pivot-arms on the rear end of the draw-bar, and a pair of filler-blocks, each furnished with three hubs or thimbles to receive the rivets which connect the draw-bar with its yoke, strap, or extension, the draw-bar having a transversely-arranged slot to receive the front hub or thimble of the fillerl locks and the longitudinally-movable drawbar centering-block having lon itudinallyarranged slots to receive the middle and rear hubs or thimbles of the filler-blocks, thus very strongly and securely connecting the draw-bar with its strap, yoke, or extension, and at the same time permitting the drawbar-to swing laterally as required, the lateral movement of the draw-bar operating through its lateral pivot-arms to move the draw-bar centering-blocklongitudinally, and thus compress the springs of the draft-rigging, so that the draft-rigging springs will themselves automatically operate to center the draw-bar or restore it to its central position.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown or described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in central vertical longitudinal section, of a draft-rigging with a draw-bar centering device or mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section on line3 3 ofFig. ,2, enlarged. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, enlarged. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, enlarged; and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the draw-barcentering-block.

In the drawings, A represents the center sills or framepieces of the car to which the side plates or stop-castings B of the draft-rigging are secured. C C are tandem-arranged springs D, the followers E, the draw-bar strap, yoke, or extension; F, the draw-bar; G, the draw-bar centeringblock; H, the fillerblocks, and K the rivets, which connect the strap or yoke E of the draw-bar.

The draw-b ar F is furnished with a pair of lateral rocker. or pivot arms f, one fitting on each side of the middle rivet K, about which as a center the draw-bar turns in its laterallyswinging movement. These rocker or pivot arms F on the draw-bar engage corresponding seats or bearings g of the draw-bar centering-block G, which is interposed between the rear end of the draw-bar and the front follower D. These lateral rocker'or pivot arms f on the draw-bar thus prevent lateral or swinging movement of the draw-bar unless causing a corresponding longitudinal movement of the draw-bar centering-block G and consequent compression of the 'follower-spring abutting against the follower D. The filler-blocks H H are each furnished with three integral hubs or thimbles h to receive the rivets K, which connect the drawbar strap with the draw-bar. Two of these filler-blocks-an upper one and a lower one-- are employed for convenience in assembling the parts. The draw-bar has a laterally-arranged slot f, in which the front hubs or strap or yoke E, but only two of the rivets K extend through the draw-bar-the middle one and the front one. The rear rivet K extends through the draw-bar centering-block and the strap E, but does not extendjthrough the drawbar; but the rear rivet aids through the draw-bar centering-block in connecting the draw-bar with its strap of yoke E, so that a very strong, safe, and secure connection is thus provided between the draw-bar and its strap or yoke, while at the same time enabling the draw-bar to swing laterally as required and causing the draft-riggin g springs themselves to serve as a means for centering the draw-bar or restoring it to its normal central position.

I claim 1. In a draft-rigging, the combination with the side plates or stop-castings, springs and followers, of a draw-bar strap or extension and a draw-bar having a pivotal connection therewith to enable it to swing laterally, said draw-bar being provided with lateral pivot or rocker arms, and a longitudinally-movable draw-bar centering-block interposed between the rear end of the drawbar and the front follower and having lateral seats or bearings to engage said lateral rocker or pivot arms on the draw-bar to cause the draft-rigging spring to be compressed when the draw-bar swings laterally, and thus to center the draw-bar or restore it to position through the action of the draft-rigging spring itself, and fillerblocks and rivets connecting the draw-bar, draw-bar strap and draw-bar centering-block, substantially as specified.

2. In a draft-rigging, the combination with the side plates or stop-castings, springs and followers, of a draw-bar strap or extension, and a draw-bar having a pivotal connection therewith to enable it to swing laterally, said draw-b ar being provided with lateral pivot or rocker arms, and a longitudinallymovable draw-bar centering-block interposed. between the rear end of the draw-bar with its strap or yoke and extending through 4 the filler-blocks, the draw-bar having a transverse slot to receive the front rivet and filler-block hub or thimble, and the draw-bar centerin -block having a longitudinal slot to receive t e rivet and filler-block hub or thinlgled passing through it, substantially as speci- 3. In a draft-rigging, the combination with the spring and follower, of a draw-bar strap or yoke, a draw-bar pivotally connected to said draw-bar or yoke and having lateral pivot or rocker arms, and a longitudinally-movable draw-bar centering-block having seats or bearings engaging said arms on the draw-bar, filler-blocks furnished with three hubs or thimbles to receive the rivcts, rivets passin through the draw-bar strap or yoke and sai hubs or thimbles, the draw-bar having a transverse slot to receive the front rivet and filler-block hubs or thimbles, and the draw-bar centering-block having longitudinal slots to receive the middle and rear rivcts and filler-block hubs or thimbles, substantially as specified.

4. Adraft-rigging and draw-bar centering mechanism consistin in the combination with a draw-bar, of a draw-bar strap or yoke, draft rigging spring and followers, and a longitudinally-movable draw-bar centeringblock interposed between the front follower and the draw-bar, the draw-bar being provided with lateral rocker or pivot arms, and said centering-block having seats to engage said arms, and means comprising a pair of I00 filler-blocks and three rivets connecting the draw-bar, draw-bar strap and draw-bar centering-block, whereby the draw-bar is permitted to swing laterally and the centeringblock to move longitudinally and compress the draft-rigging spring as the draw-bar swings laterally and thereby'cause it to be restored to position, substantially as specified.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. Witnesses:

g .H. M. MUNDAY,

PEARL ABRAMs... 

